Kamala Harris calls Trump administration's handling of COVID crisis the 'greatest failure'

Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger Senator Kamala Harris began only vice presidential debate, amid concerns over President Donald Trump's health after he was tested positive for COVID-19. Kamala Harris criticized Donald Trump's response to COVID-19, which has claimed over 200,000 American lives, as "greatest failure" in presidential history.

'y minimized seriousness of it'

" American people have witnessed what is greatest failure of any presidential ministration in history of our country," Harris, a US senator from California and former prosecutor, said. According to media reports, she pointed out to Trump's own statements to journalist Bob Woodward and accused White House of t talking action despite kwing risks of Coronavirus. 

" president said it was a hoax. y minimized seriousness of it," Harris said. With Trump recovering from virus in Washington, Harris declared she would t take a vaccine if Republican president endorsed it without backing of medical professionals.

'Stop playing politics with peoples' lives'

Pence, who les Trump's Coronavirus task force, ackwledged that "our nation’s gone through a very challenging time this year.” But he ded, “I want American people to kw, from very first day, President Trump has put health of America first", promising millions of doses of a yet-to-be-anunced treatment before end of year. 

He also condemned Harris' scepticism of Trump's bragging about vaccines-to-be: "Senator, I ask you: Stop playing politics with peoples' lives.” According to Associated Press, candidates debated in an auditorium where any guest who refused to wear a face mask was to be asked to leave, an extraordinary backdrop for only vice presidential debate of 2020.

RE | US Vice Presidential Debate 2020 Live updates: Climate question spirals into US-China ties

RE | PM Modi to launch 'Jan Andolan' for COVID-19 awareness as India hes to festive season

candidates appeared on st exactly 12.25 feet (3.7 meters) apart and separated by plexiglass barriers. Both candidates released updated coronavirus test results ahe of debate proving y were negative as of Tuesday. debate, moderated by journalist Susan P, is divided into nine segments of approximately 10 minutes each. Political analysts believe that an aggressive Harris will easily prevail over Pence during only vice-presidential debate and help Biden, 77, to widen his le over Trump, 74.

Biden, in last few days, has widened his le over Trump by double-digits. debate comes nearly a week after first of three presidential debates in Cleveland on September 29 which was marked by angry interruptions and bitter accusations.

RE | Explosive: Rahul Gandhi’s Hathras right-hand man boasts bloody plot to trigger caste riots

RE | 'Dr Sudhir Gupta saw Sushant's photo and said strangulation': Vikas Singh's shock reveal

(With ncy inputs)